THE NEW ROLES OF SCHOOL MANAGERS IN MANAGING EDUCATIONAL CHANGES IN NIGERIAN SCHOOLS

Education in Nigeria is rapidly changing and technically tailored towards meeting certain goals such as the Education for All (EFA, 2015) and the Nigeria Vision 20:2020. The requirements of these various national goals from the school managers are centered on the advancement of teaching and learning through the implementation of performance based-management. The School Management Team (Principal, Deputy Principals, and HODs) need to understand the new roles of school managers in managing the changes in Nigerian schools.This study investigated the emerging roles that members of the School Management Team play in their efforts to manage the on-going educational changes in schools. Since the present educational system in Nigeria is characterized by a variety of changes, school managers are not only expected to understand these changes but also to be able to manage them effectively. The study discussed the concept of change in Nigerian educational system. Some of the common challenges faced by SMTs in the implementation of the new education policies were discussed.Empirical research was conducted in four randomly selected schools in Abia State. Questionnaire was constructed to gather data from members of SMTs on the challenges facing SMTs in implementing educational policies. The research findings revealed that the present school managers find it difficult to meet the new managerial expectations that are brought about by the transforming educational environment. Recommendations were made for the retraining of School Management Teams to help them execute their expected managerial roles in meeting the nation's national goals